New York City Population 2016

New York City is by far the largest city in the United States, with an estimated 2016 population of 8.55 million. Since the first US census in 1790, it has held that position, and continues to have more than double the population of Los Angeles, the second largest city. Chicago is the third largest city in the US, but has just 1/3 the number of people as New York City.

New York City continues to have major influence and impact on the world’s economy, entertainment, media, education, art, technology, and scientific research. The city features five separate boroughs:) Staten Island, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. As many as 800 languages are spoken throughout New York City, making it the most diverse city in the world when it comes to linguistic multiplicity.

The estimated population for New York City in 2016 is 8,550,405. This reflects growth of 375,300 people, a 4.6% increase, since the 2010 census recorded 8.175 million residents.

The largest increase in New York City’s population occurred in the borough of Brooklyn, which showed a population increase of 5.3% between the 2010 census and 2016 estimates. The second largest change is in the Bronx, which reflected a 5.1% increase, followed by Queens (4.9%), Manhattan (3.7%) and Staten Island (1.2%).

New York City Population History

The first recorded population count for New York City was 7,681 in 1698. The city grew at a moderate rate in the 18th century, but exploded in the 19th century, more than doubling in the final 10 year period. The city of 80,000 in 1800 became a city of 3.4 million by the end of the 1800s. This growth continued until the 1930s, but has tapered off in the 80 years since.

New York City officialy crossed the 8 million mark for the first time in 2010, after seeing almost no net growth between 1950 and 2000. The city's population dropped by nearly a million during the 1970s due to migration to the suburbs, driven by increasing crime and decreasing economic prospects. The city rebounded throughout the 80s, and has continued a slow upward climb in each census since.

The latest research shows that people who live in New York City have a higher life expectancy than the rest of the country. In 2010, the life expectancy of a person living in New York City was 80.9 years of age. This is 2.2 years longer than the life expectancy of the entire country, which is 78.7 years of age. That increase in life expectancy is actually 2 percent higher than the previous year (2009). This research was completed by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the city’s Department of Health.

New York City Demographics

In New York City, 44.6% of the population is white, 25.1% is black, and 11.8% are of Asian descent. Hispanics of any race represent about 27.5% percent of New York City’s population, while those who are of Asian descent represented the fastest-growing demographic between the years 2000 and 2010. As a whole, the non-Hispanic white population of the city has decreased by about 3 percent. For the first time since the end of the Civil War, the percentage of blacks in the city has decreased over the span of a decade.

The income disparity between the citizens of New York City is very wide. According to the latest census, the median household income for a wealthy citizen was $188,697 per year, and the poorest median income was reported at $9,320. This city houses the highest number of millionaires and billionaires in the world. Moscow, Russia, follows in a close second.

New York City has the highest population density in the US, far ahead of second place San Francisco. Overall, 26,403 people live in each square mile, and in Mahattan, that number is over 66 thousand per square mile.

New York City's Population Projections

New York City's population is expected to reach 9 million by 2040, based on recent projections created by the city. Among the 5 boroughs, the Bronx's growth is projected to be the highest at 14% between 2010 and 2040. On the flip side, Manhattan is expected to grow by 6.7% by 2040.

If these projections are accurate, Brooklyn will extend its lead over Queens as the largest borough in New York City, growing to nearly 3 million by 2040.